Boss Mitch Brundle branded Dover’s display in their National League South home defeat to in-form Hampton as gutless on Saturday.

Borough skipper Jake Gray struck twice before substitute David Fisher added a third with a late effort. It's now three successive losses for Whites and two 3-0 home defeats in a row.

“It was a gutless performance,” said Brundle, without experienced midfielders Jordan Higgs and Lee Martin as they started two-match bans due to picking up an accumulation of yellow cards this season.

“It’s just not good enough and not accepted. We’ve gone from four [successive] clean sheets to conceding nine goals against three teams below us, fighting for their lives.

"We just didn’t have enough character. It was just a gutless performance.

"I’m upset for the fans, as well, because we were getting a little gathering back together with our consistency and working hard. But we didn’t work hard enough today - and I won’t accept that.

“Even when I first got the job, I said I’ll never have a team that doesn’t run around - and they didn’t today. They let themselves down. We were missing two key experienced players, which is not an excuse.

“You’re just asking the other players to work hard, have that desire and commitment, track runners, and we started the second half a little bit better, changing shape. But we conceded sloppy goals.

• Report: Dover 0-3 Hampton

“There was no desire and no pride in their own performance. They have to take that on themselves.

"Some players do take a little bit, the more consistent ones, but it’s not acceptable [from everyone else].

“We’ll just go back to the drawing board and, hopefully, not have it again.”

Brundle, 28, accepts he could play himself in a bid to add more experience which was lacking from Dover’s midfield.

The manager feels doing so would be a message to those on the bench that he doesn’t think they’re good enough - but admits it may be coming towards this point, with Whites at risk of sleepwalking back into a relegation scrap.

He said: “Yeah, maybe now, I maybe didn’t need to [play myself] at the start [of his time in charge].

“Do I think I’m the answer? I don’t know.

“What I didn’t want to do - and what I think is right - is, if I play myself ahead of someone, basically, I’m telling them they can walk out the door. They’re not good enough.

“But it’s coming to the crunch time for that.”

Dover are 15th, eight points clear of the relegation zone, and looking over their shoulder once more despite a recent six-match unbeaten streak.

Asked if he feared a second successive relegation for the club after the loss to Hampton, who now are on a four-match winning streak, Brundle replied: “I would say it’s always been a concern from when I first came in.

“The six games unbeaten wasn’t down to any quality or the ball-side of the game. It was down to heart, desire and commitment.

"But we didn’t have that and we haven’t had that for the last three games. We can see that on the statistics and they can see it.

"This is just a tough game to take because it’s not really about quality.”

Dover visit play-off chasing St Albans next Saturday, with the Hertfordshire side having won 3-1 at Bath on Saturday.